Trump Announces $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program for Farmers

President Donald Trump used a campaign rally in Park City, Kansas, on Monday night to announce a new $8 billion federal program that will pay farmers one-time support to help cover diesel costs during this year's harvest.

"Tonight, I'm also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new harvest fuel relief program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season," Trump told the crowd. The speech came three weeks before the November midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake and farm states at the center of several competitive Senate races, including the Kansas race Trump traveled to boost.

How the money will flow

The Agriculture Department confirmed the program in a statement issued after the speech. It said the $8 billion will go out as one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season, meant as relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs. The payments will be administered by the department's Farm Service Agency.

Agri-Pulse reported that the money comes from Commodity Credit Corporation funding. Payments will be based on a formula that weighs planted acres reported to the Farm Service Agency, cost of production estimates from the Economic Research Service, and yield and price figures from the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. The approach is similar to the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which used $12 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding. The department said payment rates for Title I commodities will be released in November. Producers of other commodities, including specialty crop growers and fishermen, can send data on their higher fuel costs to [email protected] for consideration when rates are set.

Farmers will not need farm insurance coverage to take part. The department urged producers to open a Login.gov account linked to the Agriculture Department ahead of the application period, saying pre-filled applications will be available online.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins backed the announcement in a post on X on Monday. "This relief will help bring certainty to our farmers during harvest so they can continue to feed our nation," she wrote.

Why now

Fuel is one of the biggest costs of bringing in a crop, and diesel prices have climbed during the US and Israeli war on Iran, squeezing farm margins at the exact moment combines are running. Trump signed an executive order earlier this month that he said would expand access to tax-exempt diesel. The relief program is the latest in a series of financial pledges the president has made to voters ahead of the midterms, as his approval rating has stayed low over his handling of the cost of living.

At the same rally, Trump also said the United States and Mexico are very close to agreeing to what he called a "great" trade deal. He gave no details of the terms, and Mexico has not confirmed his description.